PC madness as Labour council bans all titles with ‘man’ in them

A COUNCIL has ditched all titles with “MAN” in them - and replaced them with “gender neutral” names.

PUBLISHED: 12:41, Fri, Apr 7, 2017 | UPDATED: 13:14, Fri, Apr 7, 2017

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Harlow council has ditched all the titles with 'man' in them

Councillors at the Labour-run Harlow Council in Essex voted last night to abolish the title of chairman, vice-chairman and committee chairman - and any other council titles with the word 'man' in them.

Councillors in any of the affected roles will from now on be referred to as chairperson, vice-chairperson, committee chairperson.

It is believed that workers at the council will also have gender neutral titles, with roles like groundsman replaced with groundsperson.

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Labour councillor Emma Toal's motion - put to the council this week - states: "This Council recognises the importance of promoting gender equality within our town and the Council itself.

"We recognise the importance of both the representation of women and the language we use.

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Harlow Council in Essex voted to abolish the titles of chairman, vice-chairman among other titles

"We strive to increase the number of female councillors and for the Council to ensure that all staff are treated fairly regardless of gender. If we are not aware of the scale of the issue then we cannot address it."

It's a small issue but it's important we take a step forward

Emma Toal

She said that the council should also undertake a gender audit of staff and ensure the gender pay gap is closed.

The motion continued: "The Council agrees that the Council undertakes a gender audit of staff, highlighting gender balance in senior roles and any gender pay gap.

“[And] to change the Council's constitution so that the current titles of Chairman of the Council, Vice-Chairman of the Council and Chairman of other committees are gender neutral and for them to be addressed in meetings as such."

She said at the meeting: "Language matters and we can't pretend it doesn't matter.